The Peoples Democratic Party’s Edo chapter has disapproved of the election petition tribunal’s ruling.
On Wednesday, the Edo electoral tribunal in Abuja rejected the claims of the PDP and Asue Ighodalo and confirmed the victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
The PDP caretaker committee chairman, Tony Aziegbemi, announced in a statement that the party’s candidate was lawfully chosen by the majority of votes in the governorship election held on September 21, 2024.
According to Mr. Aziegbemi, the PDP was certain that it had adequately supported its position before the tribunal.
He said, “The Edo Election Petition Tribunal has delivered its ruling on our petition, challenging the result of the governorship election held September 21, 2024. Although we hold the judiciary in the highest esteem as a political party and respect the judgment, we completely disagree with the decision of the tribunal.”
“We believe, without any doubt, that our candidate, in the election, was duly elected by the majority of the voters in that election. We are also certain that we sufficiently proved our case before the tribunal.”
Mr Aziegbemi added, “It is on the back of this conviction that we call on all our members to quickly rise up from the ashes of this temporary setback as we take our matter to the appellate courts.
“As firm believers in the rule of law and the ultimate superiority of right over wrong. We call on all our supporters to keep hope alive as we explore all available democratic means of enthroning the will of the people of Edo.”
In a unanimous ruling, the three-member panel presided over by Justice Wilfred Kpochi emphasized that the petitioners had not proven their claims of excessive voting and electoral non-compliance.
According to the tribunal, a petitioner must establish its claims of election malpractice against INEC, not the other way around.
The judge agreed with the defendants because the petitioners did not provide polling unit agents and presiding officers to support their claims that the number of votes cast exceeded the number of registered voters in the contested polling units.
The judge said it was “clear to us that the documents tendered from the bar(by the petitioners) were dumped on the tribunal without any competent witness” to substantiate the claims of over-voting and electoral non-compliance.”
“These witnesses (presented by the petitioners comprising local government agents and others) are total strangers,” the judge stressed. “The failure of the petitioners (PDP and Ighodalo) in this case to call polling unit agents and registered voters is fatal to their case.”
The judge also chastised the PDP for bringing the BVAS machines to the tribunal without bringing in qualified witnesses to activate them and support its allegations of excessive voting.
